The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-01-20

days from the date of the action one could have
heard the gallant deeds of all the regiments,
save the 9th, rehearsed IN terms born of heroic
ardor, and we, poor mortals, who in the hour OF
our con6ding vanity had ventured into the
deep sea of unasked-for praise, were entirely
forgotten, ignored and thrown over as being an
unworthy Job lot" without character or
friends. The air was filed with lies about MS,
and their messengers were already on the wing
TO neutralize the first favorable accounts OF
what we had done, or rather what we believed
we had done, in the way of good service for our
country.
The curious may ask why this change of SEN
timent. There seemingly can be but one an
swer. The regiments that had been IN the
action from o'clock in the morning, and then
so calamity, according 10 their own accounts,
charged and got into the fort first and so cour-
ageously planted their colors on the parapet
first, may have discovered that the 9th n. Y.
was getting altogether too much glory out of
the affair and something had TO be done, and
soon an extOrted, involuntary admiration
changed into envy, then envy TO hate, and
after that the deluge of falsehood. This may
not be correct but il has ever been my personal
theory.
Mai. Himball was very much chagrined at all
this and detailed him TO make il a personal
matter" with rs many Of the fathers of false
reports as he might induce 10 vindicate them
selves for making the statements he pro
nounced untruthful. But as / never heard OF
any
ACUTE CASES OF MEDICATION
] arrived at the conclusion that all differences
had been settled in a well-known army fashion
without bloodshed. These outside affairs never
gave me the slightest anxiety. / knew that
my regiment had performed its whole duty,
and ] had no fear about its future conduct in
presence of the enemy, and what anybody or
any number Of bodies might say gave me no
concern. In relation TO the priority OF nag
/ planting" business upon the rebel earthwork.
/ felt that il mattered very little who planted
! the first colors on the parapet. was then too
young 10 appreciate the Importance, in army
politics, of getting in first flag and my belief
/ is, if the 9Th was delinquent in that respect it
was because the Color Guard was in the center
of the column, and that large number OF my
men ON the right succeeded in getting into the
work before the colors reached the parapet.
The main question was and is whose COM
mand made the attack that was the immediate
cause of the rebels leaving their fortihcation.
| My belief is that il WAS the 9th n. Y, and
rely particularly upon the report Of Gen. Parke,
who saw the whole movement Of that regiment
and reported exactly what he saw, and this re-
port is sustained by many Others official and
otherwise which are entitled TO credit If 1T
is fact that several regiments did what they
claim, viz, made the assault which drove the
rebels out, how is il that such an assault was
not made earlier i'm the day9 Why did they
wait for the last regiment of the expedition TO
come into action before making the decisive
movements they CLAMP A direct charge, COW
ering the front OF the eaTthwork, would, no
doubt, have carried it at any time after the
| commencement Of the action.
is il not strange, their waiting so long, and
then, when the 9th started, charging the fort
without orders? For il nowhere appears that
ID in.
these claiming regiments were, ordered either
of them TO make charge, while ii does appear
that both Gems Foster and Parke
ORDERED THE 9TH NY.
to make charge directly up the road in front
| Of the enemys work. This negative PROPOSE
| tion may prove a troublesome one for the Off
GERS Of the 2lst Mass and 5lst n. Y. TO explain.
The positions of these claiming regiments
may be made more clear by resorting 10 SIM
pie illustration. Let Us suppose that Sullivan,
the great Athenian knocker-out, had encoun-
tered a foe and edectually I" laid him out, and
then somebody else coming from some position
around a corner, seeing that Sullivan had
brought a mutual foe TO earth, should jump
upon the PROSTATE form, throw up his hat,
swing his handkerchief 10 the breeze and sing
out, 81 did it," Who knocked the man down
Sullivan or the party swinging the handker-
chief?
who were so active aid efficient in pressing
claims about charges made by their commands
and as 10 first flags planted, etc. had been as
anxious 10 lead their troops as they were "a
establish certain claims, the battle would have
been over two or three hours before the 9th n,
Y. arrived upon the ground, and thus could
have been saved world Of dispute about the
DIVISION OF GLORY INVOLVED.
This friend of truth, Mr.. Welch, seemed tc
have struck an unusually triumphant notC
when he sang out:
Every regiment in action In that fight ercept h,
Oh ~ r., made a report, and il is printed in the
official records. Why report was not made by
the Colonel Of the 9Th n. Y. or IL made why il wal
dence given above; II may have been that they
preferred 10 report through the newspapers; a
any rate, the doing 80 has given many peopi'
erroneous ideas OF their gailantry.
The reason why my report has not taken ,
prominent place in the history Of the Roanoke
: affair is in great measure due to my own neg
lect. j was so Indifferent to formal require
ments, personal notOriety, the fame of my regi
: ment and the demands Of history that the i'm
pOrtance Of making report had not occurred
10 me until late in the afternoon Of Feb 8
when Gen. Parle succeeded in finding me a
the Quartermasters shanty, where had TEN
porary headquarters, aud asked if my repor
was ready. j answered no. and he then in
quired II was not going TO make one. i asket
il he thought il was necessary. He replied yes
and then in his presence with the aid of
pencil and the head Of barrel, i wrote upon
/ half sheet Of foOlscap paper the carelessly
wOrded report az printed above and withou
correction handed il 10 Gen. Parke, keeping n
: copy. Afterwsrd Maj. Kimball. who had be
S come very anxious about its contents obtaine
I a copy. from which others were made.
J, If asked for the reasons of my injudiciou
: neglect, i could only answer that i am pos
4 sessed, probably unfortunately, of a peculia
> temperament, which often leads me 10 do Q
not 10 do, and say things that a discreet perso
4 would avoid and, besides, in this instance theI
a were definite reasons involved which were p,
$ culiarly my own. i felt perfectly certain thl
e my regiment
K HAD BRAVELY DONE ITS DUTY,
4 and by singular course Of unwoTldly reasonin
: persuaded myself that ought not TO prOclaii
d its deeds, but 10 let others sound its praise
praise was due. Up 10 that time i had nt
been in the habit Of making written reports.
n At Newport News we had been engaged !
q several little affairs more or less creditabl
i and in each instance i reported verbally 10 Co
J. Phelps commanding the post and then, whe
{ we assisted the navy in the capture Of For
II Hatteras and Clark by landing troops throug
d the surf aud rescning Others from impeDdin
e death who had been lapched into most DANCE
Gus positions in the breakers Of the Hatter1
se coast, i continued my careless habit Of maxim
l. no report, and had worked myself into a
AZ belief that efficient troops were OF more Walt
n than written reports, and that time devoted
r. the latter was about the same as thrown ava
a. This frank acknowledgment which fear wi
not add to my reputation for common sens